Article of repose for supporting the body of a person



Jan. 27, 1959 J. LUCKHARDT ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Filed March 1, 1955 4 She ets-She et 2 IN V EN TOR.

ASSILI LUCKHARDT adminish-afovofi'he sra'fe 0F Johannes Luckhard'i', deceased V ATTORNEK 1959 J. LUCKHARDT 2,870,822

' ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Filed March 1, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ticl-E.

INVENTOR.

WASSILI LUCKHARDT, adminisfraior .oF fhe esTaIfe 01 gifhannes Luckhard+,d.ecea5ed..

ATTORNEY;

1959 J. LUCKHARDT 2,870,822 ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING 2 THE BODY OF A PERSON Filed March 1, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 TirzrE.

' &

360 365 INVENTOR.

WASSILI LUCKHARDT, adminisi'rafor offhe esfme ofJohann es Lucnhanfi, deceased.

ATTORNEY.

ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Johannes Luckhardt, deceased, late of Berlin-Dahlem,

Germany, by Wassili Lnckhardt, administrator, Berlin- Dahlem, Germany, assignor to Anton Lorenz, Boynton Beach, Fla.

Application March 1, 1955, Serial No. 491,400 Claims. or. 155-106) This invention relates to articles of furniture, and more particularly to articles of repose for supporting the body of a person wherein aseat and back-rest are movable relative to a support and wherein a leg-rest is arranged which is propelled forwardly and upwardly during a movement of the seat and the back-rest from a sitting position into a reclined position.

An object of the invention is to provide an article of repose of above described type with an advantageous mechanism for controlling the movements of the leg-rest.

Another object of the invention is to improve on the construction of articles of repose for supporting the body of a person as now customarily made.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevational views of a reclining armchair according to the invention, a portion of a side frame being broken away, themovable elements of the chair being shown in the sitting position and reclining position respectively,

Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevational views of another embodiment of a reclining armchair according to the invention, a portion of a side frame beingbroken away, the movable elements of the chair being shown in. the sitting position and reclined position respectively,

Figs. 5 and 6 are side elevational views of a further embodiment of a reclining armchair according to the invention, a portion of a side frame being broken away, the movable elements of the chair being shown in the sitting position and reclined position respectively, and

Figs. 7 and 8 are side elevational views of still another embodiment of p a reclining armchair according to the invention, a portion of a side frame being broken away,

the movable elements of the chair being shown in the sitting position and reclined position respectively.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 generally indicates a'support comprising two side frames 12 and 14 connected with each other in suitable manner.

A back-rest generally indicated by 16, having a downward extension 18 is swingably mounted on the support 10 at 20.

A seat generally indicated by 22 is provided withbars 24 on each of its sides, only one bar being shown. Said bars 24 being rigidly connected with the frame of seat 22- by screws or the like are swingably mounted on the support 10 at 20 in coaxial alignment with the pivotal connection between the back-rest 16 and the support 10.

On each side of the chair the upper end of a first link 28 is pivoted to the front portion of the seat 22 at 30. The lower end of said first link 28 is pivoted at 32 to one end of a second link 34. The upper end of a third link 36 is swingably mounted on the support 10 at 38. The lower end of said third link 36 is pivoted at 40 to a fourth link 42. Said fourth link 42 and the above mentioned first link 28 are pivotally connected with each other at 44 at a point intermediate the ends thereof.

u One end of a connecting link 46 is pivoted to the third link 36 at 48. The other end of said connecting link 46 is pivoted to the downward extension 18 of the back-rest 16 at 50.

An arm 52 rigid with the upper end of the third link 36 carries a roller 54, which is in abutting engagement with the lower surface of the seat 22.

A leg-rest 56 is pivoted to the second link 34 at 58 and to the fourth link 42 at 60, the pivotal connections 58 and 60 being spaced from each other.

Upon a rocking movement of the back-rest 16 from the sitting position shown in Fig. 1 into the extreme re- I clined position shown in Fig. 2, the mechanism described r above causes a rocking movement of the seat 22 about its 1 pivot 20 and a forward and upward propelling of the legrest 56 from the position shown in Fig. i into the position shown in Fig. 2. As will be readily gathered from Fig.2, the rear edge of the leg-rest 56 is somewhat spaced from the front edge of the seat 22 when the elements are in the sitting position whereby a comfortable support of the legs of a person resting on the chair is obtained.

According to the embodiment shown in. Figs. 3 and 4,

again the back-rest 116 and seat 122 are swingably mounted on the support at 120, Furthermore again a leg-rest 156 is pivoted at spaced points 158 and to a link 134 of a first pair of links128, 134 and to a link 142 of a second pair of links 136, 142, the links 128 and 142 of said two pairs of links being pivotally connected with each other at 144 and the link 128 of the first pair of links 128, 134 being pivoted to the seat 122 at 130, and the link 136 of the second pair of links 136, 142 being swingably mounted on the support 110 at 138.

However the control of the movements of the seat 122 in dependence on movements of the link 136 is obtained by means of another link 162 pivoted to the link 136 at 164 and to the seat 122 at 166.

Furthermore the movements of the two pairs of links 128, 134 and 136, 142 are controlled in dependence on movements of the back-rest 116 by means of a linkage comprising a link 168 swingably mounted on the support 110 at 170, a link 172 pivoted to the link 136 at 174 and to the link 168 at 176, and a link 178 pivoted to the link 168 at 180 and to the extension 118 of the back-rest 116 at 182.

Owing to the mechanism described above,the seat 122 v and the leg-rest 156 are positively moved from the sitting position shown in Fig. 3 into, the reclined position shown in Fig. 4 duringa movement of the back-rest 116 about its pivot 120 from the position shown in Fig. 3 into the position shown in Fig. 4.

According to the embodiment shown in Figs. 5"and 6, again the back-rest 216 and seat 222 are rockably mountedon the support 210 at 220. Furthermore again the chair is provided with two pairs of links 228, 234 and 236, 242 of which the links 228 and 242 are pivotally connected with each other at 244 and of which the link 228 is pivoted to the seat 222 at 230 and the link 236 is swingably mounted on the support 210 at 238. Moreover again the leg-rest 256 is pivoted to the links 234 and 242 at 258 and 260 respectively.

However a connecting link 284 pivoted at one of its ends to the downward extension 218 of the back-rest 216 at 286 has its other end pivoted to the link 228 of the first pair of links 228, 234 at 288. Said connecting link 284 is pivoted at 290 at a point intermediate its ends to the lower end of a guiding link 292, the upper end of which is swingably mounted on the support 210 at 294.

A swinging movement of the back-rest 216 around its pivot 220 from the sitting position shown in Fig. 5 into the reclined position shown in Fig. 6 results in a positive movement of the seat 222 and the leg-rest 256 from the Patented Jan. 27, 1959 3 sitting position shown in Fig. 5 into the reclined posi= tion shown in Fig. 6.

According to the embodiment shown in Figs. 7 and 8; the back-rest 316 and seat 322 are rigid with each other so as to form a unit generally indicated by 3.96. Said unit 396 is swingably mounted on the support 310 at 398. A downward extension 300 is rigid with the unit 396'. Again the chair is provided with two pairs of li'nks328, 334 and 336, 342. The links 328 and 342 of said two, pairs of links are pivotally connected with each other at 344'. The link 328 is pivoted to the seat portion 322 of the unit 396 at 330'. The link 336 is swingably mounted on the support 310' at 338.

A- leg-rest 356" is pivoted to the links 334 and 342 at 358 and 360 respectively.

The movements of the two' pairs of links 323, 334 and 336, 342' and of the leg-rest 356 in coordination with the rocking movements of the" unit 396 are controlled by the linkage 378, 368", 372. The link 368 of said linkage 378, 368, 372 is swingably mounted on the support 310 at 370. The link 378 is pivoted to the extension 300 at 382 and to the link 368, at 3801 The link 372 is pivoted to the link 368 at 376 and to the link 328 of the first pair of links 328, 334 at 302.

The mechanism described above provides for a positive movement of the leg-rest 356 from the sitting position shown in Fig. 7 into the reclined position shown in Fig. 8 during a rocking movement of the seat-back-rest unit 396 from the position shown in Fig. 7 into the position shown in Fig. 8.

Preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in shape and proportion, as well as k the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

For example each of the embodiments shown in the drawings may be equipped with stops for limiting the sitting and extreme reclined positions respectively.

Furthermore locking means may be provided for locking the movable members of the chair in any desired position.

What is claimed is:

l. A reclining chair comprising a support, body-supporting means including a seat and a back-rest having a downward extension movably mounted on said support for movement between an upright sitting position and a rearwardly-inclined reclining position, a leg-rest, a first pair of links including a first and second linkconnected end to end, a second pair of links including a third and fourth link connected end to end, the first link being pivotally connected to and depending from the seat, the third link being pivotally connected to and depending from the support, the second and fourth links being operatively connected at spaced points to said leg-rest, said fourth link crossing over and being pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of said first link, a connecting link connected to an intermediate" portion of one of said first and third links, a guiding link pivotally mounted on said support and pivotally connected to said connecting. link, and means operatively connecting said guiding link to a downward extension of saidback-rest for forward and upward movement of said guiding link. and connect-- ing link in response to rearward tilting movement of said back-rest, whereby said third link is pivoted forwardly and upwardly on said support to lift said fourth link and said leg-rest.

2. A reclining chair" according to claim 1 in which said connecting means comprises a further link pivotally connected at one 'end to said downward extension of the back-rest and pivotally connected at its other end to a point on the guiding link above the pivotal con nection of the guiding link to the connecting link.

3. A reclining chair according to claim 1 in which said connecting means comprises a rigid extension of said connecting link extending rearwardly of the pivotal connection of said guiding link to the connecting link and pivotally connected to said d'owward extension of the back-rest.

4. A reclining chair comprising a support, body-supporting means including a seat and a back-rest pivotally mounted on said support for independent movement between an upright sitting position and a rearwardly-inclinedreclining position, said back-rest having a downward extension, a leg-rest, a first pair of links including a first and second link connected end to end, a second pair of links including a third and fourth link connected end to end, the first link being pivotally connected to and: depending from the seat, the third link being pivot ally connected to and depending from the support, the second andfourth links being pivotally connected at spaced points to said leg-rest, said fourth link crossing over and being pivotally connected toan intermediate portion of said first link, a connecting link connected to an intermediate portion of said third link, a guiding link pivotally mounted on said support and pivotally connected to said connecting link, and a further link pivotally connected to said guiding link and to said downward extension of said back-rest for forward and upward movement of said guiding link and connecting link in response to rearward tilting movement of said backrest, whereby said third link is pivoted forwardly and upwardly on said support to lift said fourth link and said leg-rest.

5. A reclining chair according to claim 4 in which a seat controlling link is pivotally connected to said third link and to said seat, said seat controlling link being lifted by said third link for raising said seat in response to rearward movement of the back-rest.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

